Automatic air-hose coupling.



Y Q/Vituaou N. TOY.

AUTOMATIG AIR HOSE COUPLING, APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1908 Patented001;.6, 1908 2 sums-sum 1.

lwvaulioz N. TOY. AUTOMATIC AIR HOSE COUPLING.

' JIKPPLIOATION FILED APR. 7, l908. Patented Oct. 6 1908. V r

2 SHEETBSHEET 2.

awuzntoz UNITED NELSON TOY OF WEIR, KANSAS.

. AUTOMATIIZC AIR-HOSE COUPLING;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed April 7, 1908. Serial No. 425,722,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON ToY, a citizen I of the United States,residing at Weir city, in the county of Cherokee and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Automatic Air-Hose Coupler, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe couplers andhas for itsobject to provide astrong, durable and thoroughly efficient device ofthis character for automatically connecting the train pipes of adjacentcars when said cars are coupled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a couplinghead havingmeans for attachment to the usual hose cou ling so that the device maybe used, on freig t or passenger cars without the necessity of makingany change in the construction of either the car or train pipe.

A further object is to provide improved means for guiding thecoupling-heads as the cars come together and means for yieldably suporting said heads in operative position be ow the platform of the cars.

A further object is to provide means car ried by the coupling heads forconnecting t he electric conductors of adjacent cars so that telegra hicor telephonic communication may be estalilished between the severalcarsof the tram.- t

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thiselass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefficiency. I

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood thatvarious ohanges in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope .of the apended claims. i

n the accompanying drawings forming a i part of this specification:Figure 1 is a slde .elevation'of an automatic train pipecouplerconstructed 1n accordance with my lIlVeHtlOIl showing the same inoperative or cou led po- 'sition. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side e evationshowing the heads in position to be coupled. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofone of the coupling heads. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa transverse sectional view taken onthe line 55 of Fig.3.

Similar numerals of reference Indicate cor responding parts in all ofthe figures of the drawings.

The improved train pipe coupling forming the subject matter of thepresent invention may be used on freight cars, passen er cars and otherrail-way rolling stock and y way of illustration is shown attached to afreight car of the ordinary construction in which 5 designates theplatform of the car and 6 the draft head or coupling, preferably of theJ annoy t pr and adapted to engage the mating coup ing 7 on the adjacentcar, as 'shown. As the couplings on both cars are similar inconstruction, a detailed description of one of said couplings willsuffice. Depending from the draft coupling 6 at the reduced end thereofis an arm or bracket 8 to the free end of which is ri idly secured inany suitable manner one emf of a heav coiled springt), 'the opposite endof which is seated in a recessed extension 10 on the adjacent fluidpressure coupling head 11.

The

coupling head 11 is preferably rectangular in shape; as shown, and isprovided with a centrally disposed opening 12 having a passage 13communicating therewith and opening through the rear face of thecoupling head. Threaded in the walls of the passage 13 is one of themembers 14 of a hose coupling of the ordinary construction, said memberbeing adapted to engage a mating member 15 secured to the free endof'the train pipe 16. I Extending laterally from the face of thecoupling head 11 is a pyramidal shapedprojection 17 adapted to enter acorrespondingly shaped recess 18 formed in the head of a mating couplingwhen said heads are united, there being a rubber gasket 19. surroundingthe opening 12 so as to prevent leakage of fluid when the heads arecoupled,

Attention is here called to the fact that the springs 9 support thecoupling heads 11 in proper position beneath the draft devices 6 and 7,saidsprings serving to receive the impact of the coupling heads and alsoserving to maintain the gaskets 19 in contact with each other and thuseffectually prevent leakage of the operating fluid. It will also benoted that by making the couplings 14 and 15 of the ,usual type thetrain pipe of one car may be connected witli'the train pipe of a matincar when said mating car is not equippe with a coupling head constructedin accordance with. this invention.

As a means for establishing telegraphic and telephonic Communicationbetween the several cars of a train, each head is provided with a sockethaving an insulating sleeve or bushing 20 threaded therein and piercedat one end by a metallic sleeve 21 to which is secured the adjacentterminal of the electric conductor 22, the latter being extended be'neath the car in the usual manner, as shown. Slidably mounted within thesleeve 20 is a contact pin 23 having a reduced extension 24 adapted tocontact with the metallic sleeve 21 when the cars are coupled thereby tocomplete the circuit. Interposed between the rear end of the sleeve 20and an annular collar on the contact pin 23 is a coiled spring 25 whichserves to normally and yieldably support the free end of the contact pinin position to be engaged by the contact pin on the coupling head of amating car. It will I thus be seen that when the cars are coupled theprojection 17 on one of the coupling heads will enter the socket 18 inthe coupling head of the adjacent car and in doing so will press thegaskets 19 in contact with each other so as to permit the flow of fiuidfrom the train pipe of one car to the train pipe of the next car.

As the cars are coupled the contact pin 23 on one coupling head willengage the contact pin on the mating head and automatically move theextensions 25 of both pins in engagement with the sleeves 21 so as tocompletethe circuit and permit telephonic com- -munciation between theseveral cars of the train. When the cars are uncoupled the spring 25will automatically project the free ends of the contact pins 23 beyondthe adj acent faces of the coupling heads and in position to a ain closethe circuit when the cars are coup ed.

While it is preferred to form each coupling head with the passage 13extending vertically from the opening 12 for connection with thecoupling 14 it is obvious that the coupling may be connected directlywith the opening 12 without departing from the spirit of the invention.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction andoperation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art and further description thereof isdeemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a car including a train pipe, a bracketdepending from the car, a spring having one end thereof secured to thebracket, a main coupling head secured to the opposite end of the springand provided with an auxiliary coupling head for connection with thetrain pipe, and a pyramidal shaped projection carried by the maincoupling head and adapted to enter a correspondingly shaped recessformed in an ad acent main coupling head when said heads are united.

2. The combination with a car including a train pipe, a bracket de endinfrom the car, a coupling head provi ed witi a fluid assage forconnection with the train ipe, t iere bem a socket formed in the rearace of the coup ing head, a coiled spring secured to the bracket andseated in said socket, and a projection extending laterally from theface of the cou lin head and adapted to enter a correspon ing y sha edrecess formed in a matiiigdcoupling hea -when said heads are coue p 3.The combination with a car including a train pipe, a bracket dependingfrom the car, a coiled spring carried by the bracket, a main couplinghead secured to the coiled spring and provided with a fluid passageopening through the rear of the coupling head, an auxiliary couplinghead secured to the'rear face of the main coupling head at the mouth ofsaid passage for engagement with the train i e, a gasket countersunk inthe front face 0 t e main cou ling head and surrounding the walls ofsaid passage, there being a recess piercing the main coupling head onone side of the gasket and having its walls converging towards the rearface of said head, and a pyramidal shaped projection disposed in spacedrelation to the recess in said ead and adapted to enter the recess in amating main coupling head when said couplin heads are brought together.

n testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

NELSON TOY.

Witnesses:

- A. W. RAY,

FRANK WHITE.

